G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 580

2010

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (4,634 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌43.5% higher power demand at 244W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅+184.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 244W, a 74W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 580

2010

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+184.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 244W, a 74W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (4,634 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌43.5% higher power demand at 244W vs 170W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than GeForce GTX 580?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 4,634 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 580 is a 2010 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2010, 184.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 184.2% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 580 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 580 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 580 is 2010 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 4,634 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 580 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	80 FPS	109 FPS
medium	65 FPS	98 FPS
high	52 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	70 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	95 FPS
medium	55 FPS	83 FPS
high	39 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	48 FPS
medium	23 FPS	43 FPS
high	15 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	132 FPS	357 FPS
medium	103 FPS	310 FPS
high	81 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	91 FPS	221 FPS
medium	65 FPS	190 FPS
high	52 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	123 FPS
4K
low	42 FPS	108 FPS
medium	32 FPS	89 FPS
high	29 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	209 FPS	593 FPS
medium	167 FPS	474 FPS
high	139 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	444 FPS
medium	125 FPS	356 FPS
high	104 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	104 FPS	296 FPS
medium	83 FPS	237 FPS
high	70 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	157 FPS	519 FPS
medium	116 FPS	439 FPS
high	100 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	425 FPS
medium	89 FPS	356 FPS
high	76 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	277 FPS
medium	50 FPS	237 FPS
high	39 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 580 and GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 580

The GeForce GTX 580 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 9 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 772 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 244W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,634 points. Launch price was $499.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 580 scores 4,634 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 184.2%. The GeForce GTX 580 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 512 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 1.581 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	4,634	13,170+184%
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	40 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	512	3584+600%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.581 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+706%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	64	112+75%
L1 Cache	1 MB	3.5 MB+250%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	3 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 580 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 580 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 580) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 580) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	6 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	336 GB/s+75%
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	3 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 580) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	N/A	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 580) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 580) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	None	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 580 draws 244W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 35.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 580) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85 C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP	244W	170W-30%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85 C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	19.0	77.5+308%